Dassault Makes New Offer to Swiss

[Armand2REP]

Dassault Makes New Offer to Swiss

GENEVA — French aircraft maker Dassault has made a new offer to Switzerland for its Rafale fighter jets after the government decided in November to buy Sweden's Gripen planes instead, according to a Jan. 29 report.

Dassault has sent a letter to the Swiss parliament offering 18 Rafale planes for 2.7 billion Swiss francs (2.24 billion euros, $2.96 billion), reported Le Matin Dimanche, which said it had seen the letter.

Dassault lost out on a bid to replace Switzerland's ageing F-5 fighter fleet when the Federal Council opted instead to buy 22 Saab Gripen fighter planes for an estimated 3.1 billion francs. But the Swiss parliament still has to approve the decision.

"Yes, I have received this letter," Hans Hess of the parliament's security commission told the newspaper.

Hess gave no further details but said it would be discussed by the upper house group on Feb. 13.

Dassault Makes New Offer to Swiss: Report | Gannett Government Media | defensenews.com

 

[nrj]

Coming few weeks will decide fate of Rafale's production line.

 

[Armand2REP]

Switzerland, Dassault strikes back

The Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung reveals today that Dassault Aviation has made a new offer to Switzerland for 18 Rafale on January 19, 2012.

The price would be CHF 2.7 billions (€2.2 billions) some CHF 400 millions (€331.7 millions) cheaper than the 22 Gripen offered by Sweeden.

With this offer, each Rafale would be only 6 % more expensive than a Gripen, which is a real bargain considering the additionnal capabilities of the French fighter (range, load):

Gripen offer : CHF 3.1 billions for 22 jets or CHF 141 millions per aircraft
Rafale offer : CHF 2.7 billions for 18 jets or CHF 150 millions per aircraft

Indeed, Dassault claims that a fleet of 18 Rafale has equivalent efficiency as 22 Gripen, a fact confirmed by a high ranked officer of the Swiss army interviewed by the Newspaper, who states that 3 Rafale/Eurofighters were able to fulfill the same missions as 5 Gripen. Besides, SonntagsZeitung reports that the French offer would also includes unlimited access to French Air Bases, as well as the possibility to use French simulators, training areas ower the Mediterranean sea and French logistic during international exercises.

Le Matin Newspaper reports that the new French offer will be for a Rafale with the same avionic/sensor suite, air defense capabilities and offset package but with fewer Air to Ground options (No pylons for heavy bombs for example) in order to better match Switzerland needs. Moreover, access to Helios reconnaissance satellite and French AWACS data would also be in the package.

On Tuesday January 24, The Security committee of the National council had decided to check that the selection procedure was devoid of any irregularities or cheating after they received a letter signed by a mysterious "groupe pour une armee credible et integre" (Group for an honest and credible army) revealing that several parameters of the evaluation would have been changed in order to favor the Gripen (some even claim that without those "corrections" the Gripen wouldn't have passed some of the minimum thresholds set by the Air Force). Eventually, the informations leaked by the letter were juged serious enough by the security committee to ask for an investigation.

Rafale News: Switzerland, Dassault strikes back